1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image-receiving sheet having excellent anti-offset properties, adhesion resistance, paper transport properties and gloss, and being resistant to cracks and able to form a high quality image, and to a process for image formation using the image-receiving sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the printing speed of electrophotography is fast in dry processing and an image can be output on general-purpose paper (regular paper or high quality paper), it is used for copying machines or the output device of a personal computer. However, when image information such as a person's face or scene is output on the general-purpose paper, the texture is different from that of a photograph because of the general-purpose paper's poor gloss and different touching. Thus, a demand has been made on special paper which could be used in photographic applications has been required.
In response to the above demand, to obtain a special paper which does give outstanding gloss, an image-receiving sheet for electrophotography comprising a toner image-receiving layer containing a thermoplastic resin on a support has been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 04-212168 and JP-A No. 08-211645). Specifically, to become closer to the photographic texture, JP-A No. 08-211645 discloses an image-receiving sheet for electrophotography using a support comprising a thermoplastic resin layer on both top and back surfaces of stencil paper.
In recent years, a technique has been disclosed wherein, by adding wax or a silicone compound to the toner, releasing properties are given to the heat roller of the fixing part, and an oil-less apparatus which does not use fixing oil and permits easy maintenance, is now coming into common use.
However, if an oil-less apparatus without fixing oil is used, the toner image-receiving layer containing the above thermoplastic resin is easily offset, and paper transporting may easily fail. For this reason, in JP-A No. 11-52604, JP-A No. 11-52605, JP-A No. 11-52606, and JP-A No. 11-212292, there is disclosed a technique using an additive having a releasing effect into the thermoplastic resin layer. However, the paper still shows poor gloss, and the texture is still largely different from that of a photograph.